Approximately 270 personnel and 12 F-16 Fighting Falcons will conduct operational joint-training missions led by the 8th Fighter Wing of Kunsan in the USPACOM area of responsibility. The 115th FW's participation in the TSP deployment is part of a force package of fighter units through the Indo-Asia-Pacific region designed to enhance regional security and demonstrate U.S. commitment to peace and stability in the area.
“The deployment to a critical area of responsibility allows the 115th FW to demonstrate the full capability of the National Guard,” said Lt. Col. Bart T. Van Roo, 176th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron commander and the TSP deployment commander. “We bring experience in and out of our military training that will complement our active duty squadrons. In addition to our constant readiness training that we conduct at here in Wisconsin, we have trained to be ready for all types of contingency operations in the Pacific over the last six months.”
Several planning meetings and training missions have taken place to prepare the Airmen for the TSP to include months of training on basic combat tasks such as weapons qualification, chemical defense and cultural familiarization.
Training for the 115th FW over the last year has incorporated 4th and 5th generation aircraft and involved dynamic threats that required joint service integration. Due to the outstanding airspace and ranges found in Wisconsin, daily training scenarios allowed for threat scenarios similar to those the unit could face in the Pacific. The Airmen of the 115th FW understand the serious challenges that our country faces in the region and are ready to respond as needed, said Van Roo.
According to Lt. Col. John T. Sacia, deploying 115th Expeditionary Maintenance Squadron Commander, the role of the maintenance Airmen at the TSP will parallel training conducted at home station; however, it will be done alongside 115th FW partners in the active Air Force.
“The two primary opportunities this deployment provides are integration with the active duty component and a complete immersion into understanding and combating the threats in our deployment region,” said Sacia.
While deployed to the TSP, the 115th FW will continue to fulfill its mission commitments, taskings and requirements back home while bolstering the operations presence and capabilities of the U.S. military in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
For more information, contact Lt. Amanda Dickenson in the 115th FW Public Affairs Office at 608-245-4395 or amanda.k.dickenson.mil@mail.mil.